1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for feeding coupling elements for attachment to slide fastener stringers and particularly such an apparatus which is designed to feed and transfer a number of discrete coupling elements successively one at a time to an element attaching station in a slide fastener manufacturing plant.
2. Prior Art
Feeding apparatuses of the character to which the invention pertains have been proposed as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,903,659 and 2,125,707 wherein a series of discrete fastener coupling elements each having a head portion and a pair of bifurcated leg portions are let fall by gravity feed through a vertically disposed chute and transferred one at a time with the bifurcated leg portions directed downwardly toward a longitudinal edge of a stringer tape, in which instance a leading or endmost one of the coupling elements is temporarily arrested by a resilient member at the bottom end of the chute and separated from an ensuing element by a vertically reciprocative pawl which then forces the leading element downwardly against the bias of the pawl and mount the same on the tape with its leg portions astride over the tape edge. Since the pawl is arranged to intrude between the head portion of the leading element and the bifurcated leg portions of the ensuing element, the prior art device cannot cope with the case where an array of coupling elements is meandered or otherwise misaligned in the chute, or where the type of elements is such that the leg portions of the ensuing element are fitted snugly over the head portion of the leading element. Another difficulty of the prior art is that due to forcible feed of the element which is resiliently arrested by the resilient member, the element is susceptible to damage. This problem would be more critical when handling fastener elements which are plated or chemically treated.